..."and a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness; evil minded people shall not travel on it, but it shall be for those wayfarers who are traveling toward God. (Isaiah 35:8, adapted)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

There are so many opportunities in lifeto give and receive love. Lately, thereseems to be even more. We are all invulnerable, challenging positions andcan use encouragement, edification,and affirmation. And yet it seemsthat, of all the Christian virtues,love is the most challenging to convey.

As I've tried to give love, and asI've hoped to receive love, I'vegiven considerable thought to howthe love we have to give comesacross to others, and how theirlove comes across to us.

My intent can be to give you love,but does the other person actuallyfeel loved? You can intend to giveme love, but do I actually end upknowing and feeling that?

In order to make any progress withthis we have to look at how Godloves us. If you are a Christianthan I think you can say, at leastin some small way, that you haveexperienced God's love. How didGod convey His love to you?

Hopefully the love you have feltfrom God is not just a mentalacceptance of His Word tellingyou that He loves you, althoughHis Promise of love is the foundation of it all. Hopefully you have a tangible,felt sense of God's love and it comes across to you in tangibleways. Even in "the soul's darknight," when it is difficult to "feel" anything at all butpain, much less love from God,it is still possible to knowthe love of God: that's howpowerful it is!

So often our love is locked upinside of us, felt but notexpressed, intended, but notactivated. Humans are adeptat hiding what they mean, learned behavior to protect themselves, or so they believe.

God's love is transparent. It isnot gnostic knowledge, it is notsomething we cannot figure out,although it will take us eternityto explore it. I am always taken,as I read the gospels, as to howthe love of Jesus came across.It was expressed in a myriad ofways but was always appropriateand timely to the situation.

Sometimes His love was a show ofcompassion (Matthew 9:35 & 36).He saw the multitudes and wasmoved with compassion to helpthem because they were like sheephaving no shepherd.

Sometimes His love was straightforward:"Peter, do you love Me? Feed my sheep!"calling us out of self-focus and self-pityto the Father's business.

Sometimes His love was encouraging,telling the disciples that it was possibleto walk even on water and to not be fearful (Matthew 8:23-26).

Sometimes His love does not rush torescue others from dealing with thethings they must face. "So whenHe heard that [Lazarus} was sick hestayed two more days in the place whereHe was" (John 11:6).

Knowing what is needed in each situation,knowing how to show the Father's Lovemeans that we, ourselves, must experiencethe Father's Love, watch Him loving usand loving others, and walk in that sameLove. Human love can be, well, too human.Well meaning but ineffective. Well intentionedbut missing the mark. Too strict or too wimpy, too freely given or too cautiouslymeasured out.

God's love is perfect in season and out ofseason but we cannot give it, cannot knowit, if we are hanging on to ourselves.Our humanity is too calculating. As weare loved by the Father, let us loveothers with that self-same love. It isthe only way.

Ask yourself, "How does my love comeacross to others?" Am I known for thistalent or that skill but not known asa lover of God and a lover of men's andwomen's souls?

In these days it is vital that we do nothide our love under a bushel and that ourlove is freely given from our own heartsthat have been greatly loved by God.

Go out there and love our lost and dyingworld with the great love of God!